griffith



J. D. GRIFFITH July 16, 1963 SWIMMING AID Filed July 31, 1961 INVENTOR.

JOHN D. GRIFFITH BY 5% flu ATTORNEY ice Patented July 16, 1963 3,097,375 SWEMMENG All John D. Griffith, 625 N. Kaisman, Compton, Calif. Filed luly 31, 1961, Ser. No. 128,154 2 Qlaims. (Cl. 9-38?) This invention relates to aquatic equipment and more particularly to apparatus for aiding swimmers.

It has long been recognized that mechanical propulsion means such as may be attached to both the wrist and ankle of a swimmer will expedite and facilitate movement through the water. Such aids are usually designed for more experienced swimmers and are a detriment to beginners. Also, they, when applied to the wrist of a swimmer, tend to rotate off-center and increase resistance to the upward stroke of the swimmer.

The device of my invention overcomes these disadvantages by being provided with removable floats which may be employed by beginners and by including a special harness which prevents the attachment from rotating about the wrist of the swimmer.

In view of the foregoing factors and conditions characteristic of mechanical propulsion means adapted to be attached to the wrist and forearms of a swimmer, it is the primary object of my invention to provide a new and improved swimmers aid not subject to the disadvantages enumerated above and including removable floats.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimmers aid of the type described which is more eflicient, economical to manufacture, and safer to use than such devices heretofore available.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type described which will minimize drag on the upstroke of the swimmer employing the aid.

These and other more specific objects will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the swimming aid of the invention applied to the forearm of a swimmer, the wings being shown in operative position;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevational view of a detail of the swimmers aid of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a central, longitudinal section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1, the wings being shown in inoperative position; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a float attachment for the device of FIGURE 1.

Referring again to the drawing, the swimmers aid constituting the present invention, generally designated 10, in-

cludes a pair of wings 12 which are curved at their tips as 0 shown. The wings 12 are connected to hinges 13 which, in turn, are pivotally mounted on hinge posts 14. A suitable strap 15 is attached to the bottom. of each hinge post 14 and is adapted to encircle the forearm A of a swimmer.

A hand sling includes a thumb stall 21 and a finger stall 22 and is linked to the forward hinge post 14 through links 23, 24 and 25. The hand sling 20 and the links 23, 24 and 25 prevent the swimmers aid 10 from rotating about the arm A of a swimmer, but does not interfere with his normal wrist movements.

The posts 14 space the wings 12 above the arm A and an imperforate partition 28 closes this space to minimize side slippage of the arm A as the user propels the wings 12 downwardly through the water.

When the wings 12 are folded down on the upstroke, water resistance is minimized because the wings 12 are spaced apart as shown in FIGURE 2 with only their trailing edges 30 and the thin edge of partition 23 cutting the water. This permits the water to pass freely between the partition 28 and the wings 12.

Floats 32 may be attached to the wings 12 by means of brackets 33 and spring 34 to assist beginners in keeping afloat.

Although a single swimmers aid has been herein shown and described it is to be understood that another swimmers aid identical to the one shown may be attached to the other arm of a swimmer.

In operation, the wings 12 of the swimmers aid 10 extend, as shown in FIGURE 1, when a swimmer makes his downstroke and fold downwardly about his arm when he makes his upstroke.

The floats 32 may be employed in conjunction with the wings 12 to assist a swimmer in floating on his back or to help non-swimmers stay afloat.

While the particular swimmers aid herein shown and described in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitation is intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. in a swimmers aid of the class described, a forward harness member and a rearward harness member each adapted for attachment to the forearm of .a swimmer; a pair of hinge posts extending perpendicularly outwardly from respective ones of said harness members; a pair of relatively stiff wings hingedly connected to the outer ends of said hinge posts and extending on opposite sides of the swimmers forearm; and an elongated imperforate partition extending between said hinge posts in the plane thereof; whereby during the forward stroke of the swimmers forearm the inner edges of said wings abut together to restrict the flow of water therebetweeen while said partition inhibits the sideways flow of water behind the swimmers forearm beneath said wings, but during the rearward stroke of the swimmers forearm said wing inner edges are separated from each other and from said partition to permit the flow of water therebetween.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 which further includes link means coupled to said forward harness member, and a hand and thumb sling coupled to said link means to inhibit rotation of said folward harness member relative to the swimmers forearm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,192,650 Leitner July 25, 1916 1,821,974 Leblanc Sept. 8, 1931 1,908,184 Richmond May 9, 1933 2,017,463 Komadina Oct. 15, 1935 2,620,495 Loiselle Dec. 9, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 714,005 Germany Sept. 6, 1943 

1. IN A SWIMMER''S AID OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A FORWARD HARNESS MEMBER AND A REARWARD HARNESS MEMBER EACH ADAPTED FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE FOREARM OF A SWIMMER; A PAIR OF HINGE POSTS EXTENDING PERPENDICULARLY OUTWARDLY FROM RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID HARNESS MEMBERS; A PAIR OF RELATIVELY STIFF WINGS HINGEDLY CONECTED TO THE OUTER ENDS OF SAID HINGE POSTS AND EXTENDING ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SWIMMER''S FOREARM; AND AN ELONGATED IMPERFORATE PARTITION EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID HINGE POSTS IN THE PLANE THEREOF; WHEREBY DURING THE FORWARD STROKE OF THE SWIMMER''S FOREARM THE INNER EDGES OF SAID WINGS ABUT TOGETHER TO RESTRICT THE FLOW OF WATER THEREBETWEEN WHILE SAID PARTITION INHIBITS THE SIDEWAYS FLOW OF WATER BEHIND THE SWIMMER''S FOREARM BENEATH SAID WINGS, BUT DURING THE REARWARD STROKE OF THE SWIMMER''S FOREARM SAID WING INNER EDGES ARE SEPARATED FROM EACH OTHER AND FROM SAID PARTITION TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF WATER THEREBETWEEN. 